martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Martillo) (05/16/84)
Because genuine ordination no longer exists, Sefardic and Oriental Jews have tended to avoid the titles Rab or Rabbi and have preferred to use Hakham or Mori. I recommend this practice become general among observant Jews because certain malevolent beings in the name of fraudulent versions of Judaism (known as Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative, Humanist or Liberal) have pre-empted the titles Rab and Rabbi.
dcs@homxa.UUCP (D.SIMEN) (05/16/84)
What makes one branch of Judaism "fraudulent"? Since when are there different "versions" of Judaism? I know of only one, although different branches stress the importance of mitsvot more or less -- more less than more in the Reform movement, more more than less in Orthodoxy and Conservatism. (I don't know enough about the Reconstructionist branch to comment on their view of mitsvot.) David (ben Mord'kai) Simen ...!homxa!dcs
teitz@aecom.UUCP (05/23/84)
As I see it, and this ismy opinion only, there is only one form of Judaism and then there are Jews who practice their own religions, which they call Judaism. Judaism means the acceptance of all the mitzvot and the acceptance of the Rabbinic explainiations. Anyone who does not accept these is a Jew but does not practice Judaism. The conservative and reform and other branches of "Judaism" are Jews 100%. But they are not practicing Judaism, but rather, a religion similar to ours. elli teitz.